The James Beard Foundation Awards were held in Chicago for the second year in a row. Over 2,000 chefs, restaurateurs, and culinary professionals gathered to honor their own in various award categories. This year's theme celebrated the relationship between television and food. Several Chicago restaurants and chefs won awards, including Alinea for Outstanding Restaurant. Leah Chase, the 93-year old recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, emphasized the universal need to eat, regardless of status.

1. FOOD& D R I N K
PHOTOBYFRANCISSON
A MATTER OF TASTE Even before the first winner was announced at the 2016 James Beard Foundation
Awards May 2, the celebratory vibe was going strong in Chicago. That’s par for the course when some 2,000 chefs,
restaurateurs, mixologists and other culinary-industry folks from around the country are gathered in one city to honor
their own. For the second year in a row, the prestigious awards and gala reception that followed were held at Lyric Opera
of Chicago. Hosted by TV personality and chef Carla Hall, this year’s theme celebrated the relationship between TV
and food, and included celeb-chef presenters such as Andrew Zimmern, Rachael Ray and Chicago’s Stephanie Izard,
whose “bun in the oven” was duly noted by Hall. Chicago was also represented in the award-receiving department with
Outstanding Restaurant Design (76 seats and over) going to Land and Sea Dept. for Cherry Circle Room, and Best Chef:
Great Lakes to Grace’s Curtis Duffy, who brought his adorable daughters onstage. The biggest local win went to Alinea
for Outstanding Restaurant. Chef-partner Grant Achatz thanked his team for their “enormous level of trust” when it
comes to his and partner Nick Kokonas’ “core philosophy of taking risks and constantly innovating.” But perhaps it was
the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, 93-year-old Leah Chase of Dooky Chase’s Restaurant in New Orleans, who
summed it up best: “I don’t care if you’re the pope or president; you have to eat.” –Lisa Shames
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
For the gala reception
following the awards at
Lyric Opera of Chicago,
the chefs, consisting
of former James Beard
Foundation Award
recipients, created dishes
inspired by their favorite
TV shows and characters.